About Me

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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
I am married to my loving husband for more than 40 years now. I am a mother to 3 beautiful children, until years ago when I lost my youngest son. Since then my life is forever altered but yet unbroken....

My Travel Journal

"There isn't much I haven't shared with you along the road and through it all there'd always be tomorrow's episode" - Elton John

I started traveling around the world since early 80s when I had the opportunity to combine business trips with vacations. Then later when my rezeki is in abundance, there were numerous other trips along the way for vacations, most of the time with hubby and the kids when the timing is right. I have also started to compile the journal and photo-pages covering almost more than 45 years of world wide travel. Some destinations I visited just once, others many times. Many of those places are the obvious famous places people would like to visit but some, the casual traveler doesn't even think to try. I have placed links to my travel at the side bar of my personal page, My Life Reflections, and will be updating them from time to time.

My wish is to continue my travel and complete circumnavigate the globe, insyaAllah…

Sunday 12 December 2010

Singapore 2010: A day trip for the Duck Tour...

"People too weak to follow their own dreams will always find a way to discourage yours..."

This is not my first time on a duck tour but I still find it fascinatingly fun.

We bought our tickets at Suntec City and had McD lunch before boarding the remodelled WWII amphibious Vietnamese war craft. The an hour-long journey on land and water brought us close to Singapore's famous skyline, historical landmarks and fantastic bay view.

(Marina Bay Sands)

Tour Highlights

Fountain of Wealth - Accorded as the World's Largest Fountain in Guinness Book of Record, the water flowing from the fountain is a symbol of wealth and the essence of life.

Singapore Flyer - Singapore's magnificent city scape from a height of 165 m on the world's largest observation wheel.

(Fly as high as the eagle)

Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay – An architectural icon with its distinctive twin shells, which houses world-class performance spaces.

(The skyline of Singapore)

Civic District - The Cenotaph - Singapore's first major war memorial.

Merlion Statue – Stood at 8.6 m high and weighing 40 tons, is one of Singapore's national icons.

(The Merlion Statue)

2010: Cairo/KL ðŸ‘‰

Monday 1 November 2010

Egypt 2010: Day 09: Cairo - Goodbye, till next time...

"Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness..."

We checked out at noon, and walked towards the pyramids. For the last time we want to be near the magnificient structures and appreciate the beauty of one of the remaining ancient wonders.

(Pyramid climbing is prohibited)

As the days passed, however, our ancient Egyptian adventures began to lose their thrill. As did everything else. The sumptuous cuisine lost its taste, ancient ruins no longer held our interest, the begging culture started to irritate our nerves. Even the dazzling sunsets looked dull.

How could this be? What more is there to experience? What is it we are missing now?

It's the end of our trip. We are starting to miss our grand daughter and home sweet home...

Sunday 31 October 2010

Egypt 2010: Day 08 Cairo - Tired body and soul...

"You cannot push anyone up the ladder unless he is willing to climb..." - Andrew Carnegie

We had breakfast at 4.00 am and got ready to disembark at Giza train station at 5.00 am. The guide was already waiting for us and sent us to Mercure Cairo El Mirage hotel. We stayed in the lobby until we are allowed to check in at noon.

(Cozy lobby of Mercure El Mirage Hotel)

We had bread, cheese and honey for lunch and room service for dinner. The whole afternoon and night was spent in the cool room resting our tired bodies...

(Supplement for steaming hot soup)

👈 2010: Cairo/KL

Friday 29 October 2010

Egypt 2010: Day 07 Luxor/Cairo - On a choo-choo train...

"The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning..." - Pele

We had breakfast early and checked out at 8.30am. The boat would be sailing off at noon so we have to be transported to Ibrotel hotel for a transit before we boarded the sleeper train at 7.30pm.

(Lobby of Iberotel Hotel)

We had lunch at McD which is situated next to the Luxor Temple. It was hot when we walked back to the hotel. With nothing particular to do we spent the whole afternoon resting at the hotel lobby until the guide picked us at 6.30pm and sent us to the train station.

(Sail boats docking at the Marina)

The sleeper train was on time. We had dinner straight after the train moved and slept right after.

Egypt 2010: Day 06 Luxor/Nile Cruise - Valley of the Kings...

"Effort doesn't matter if love is left behind..."

We had our breakfast early and there was a slight confusion on the day's iterinery. But at least we were lucky to have Nasser, an expert in Egypt antiquities to be our guide and enlightened us on ancient histories of interesting places around Luxor. He was one of those involved in the excavation of the latest tomb discovered.

Colossi of Memnon

The Colossi of Memnon (known to locals as el-Colossat, or es-Salamat) are two massive stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. the most imposing monument on the West Bank at Luxor.

(Colossi of Memnon)

Valley of The Kings

The Valley of the Kings is a valley in Egypt where for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, tombs were constructed for the kings, including Tutankhamun and Ramesses the Great. We had the opportunity to visit three of the famous tombs.

Queen Hatchepsut Temple

Hatshepsut was an 18th-dynasty pharaoh who was one of the handful of female rulers in Ancient Egypt. Her reign was the longest of all the female pharaohs, and her funerary temple still stands as a tribute to her incredible rise to power.

(Queen Hatchepsut Temple)
(A line of Pharaohs)

Karnak Temple

Although badly ruined, no site in Egypt is more impressive than Karnak. It is the largest temple complex ever built by man. Its ancient name was Ipet-isut, meaning "The Most Select (or Sacred) of Places".

(The Karnak Tempe)
(A row of stone lions)

Luxor Temple

Luxor Temple is among the most beautiful Temples in Egypt. It was known in the New Kingdom period as Ipt-Rsyt, which means the southern shrine.

(Very large column of Luxor Temple)

Thursday 28 October 2010

Egypt 2010: Day 05 Aswan/Nile Cruise - Temples and Triad of Gods...

"At the centre of your being you have the answer, you know who you are and you know what you want..." - Lao Tsu

Last night The Armada sailed silently and docked at Kom Ombo. Some passengers went on land for a night walk. We overslept and woke up late this morning and had to rush to make offerings to the crocodile and falcon gods at the Kom Ombo temple.

(The Armada Cruise Ship)

Kom Ombo Temple

The Temple of Kom Ombo is an unusual double temple built during the Ptolemaic dynasty for the Sorbek and Horus, the crocodile and falcon gods in the Egyptian town of Kom Ombo. The design is almost perfectly symmetrical, with two side-by-side sanctuaries and two parallel passageways leading through the outer parts of the temple.

(Kom Ombo Temple)

We had a late heavy breakfast after the tour and later rested in our cabin for we had another 3 hours of free time on board before Edfu, the next walking tour.

(A story to every painting on the wall)

Edfu Temple

The Armada was behind schedule. We missed lunch which was served before the tour began. The Edfu temple is 2km away and you can either take a cab or ride on horse carriage to get there.

(Lunch at the restaurant)

The Temple is dedicated to Horus, the falcon headed god, it was built during the reigns of six Ptolemies. Edfu is located 60 Km to the North of Aswan. It was the 2nd Nome of Upper Egypt and the centre of the cult of a triad of Gods.

(A beautiful sunset)

After the tour we spent the rest of the afternoon resting in the cabin and watch the beautiful reflection of sunset on the Nile from the balcony.

After dinner, we went to the upper deck to enjoy the cool night breeze while watching the Armada passed through one of the river gates in pair with another cruise boat.

Egypt 2010: Day 04 Aswan/Nile cruise - Popular sites around Aswan...

"Create your future from your future, not from your past..." - Werner Erhard

We checked out after breakfast. By 8am the luxury coach and our guide were already waiting to take us to interesting historic places around Aswan.

(By the pool side at Cornische Hotel)

The Unfinished Obelisk

(An obelisk, broken and abandoned)

Our first stop was to visit the unfinished obelisk, one of the most popular sites in ancient Aswan and provides immense insight into the stone working methods employed by the ancient Egyptians.

Philae Temple

We took a speed boat to The Temple dedicated to Goddess Isis constructed on the beautiful island of Philae.

(On a speed boat to Philae Island)

Philae Island was a rocky island in the middle of the River Nile, south of Aswan. It was called in Hieroglyphic "Apo" which means Ivory.

(Ancient drawings on the wall)
(An ancient building on the island)

It was also known by the Greek "Elephantine", most probably because it was an important centre of trade, especially for ivory.

The High Dam

We visited The Aswan High Dam, one of the biggest dam in the world. It is the largest of the two dams, both of which are situated across the Nile River. The Aswan High Dam, when it was built created Lake Nasser which stretches back 270 km and cut across Egypt and Sudan.

(By the Aswan High Dam)

So far this trip looks like a trip for the rich and famous with our own dedicated limousines, luxury coach and speed boat attended by personalised tour guides just for the two of us.

At noon we checked in the Armada cruise boat and had our lunch on lower deck.

The ship only started cruising at 8pm. We had so much of free time till then. It was hot to go for a walk. There were full of half naked mat sallehs on the deck trying to get a sun tan. So we went back to our cabin to rest till it was time for dinner.

Wednesday 27 October 2010

Egypt 2010: Day 03 Aswan/Abu Simbel - A long journey in the desert...

"A life spent making mistakes is more honorable than a life spent doing nothing..."

At Aswan train station we were met by the tour rep and transported to Isis Cornish Hotel situated by the river Nile. We couldn't check-in until 2pm but we need to leave our bags at the hotel as the coach to Abu Simbel will leave at 10.30am.

(The River Nile)

Before the start of the journey, there were checks on the vehicles for bombs or explosives. The security was extra tight. We didn't expect it to be like this and have not read anything like this in the internet. There must be a threat of some sort. It is a 275 km journey across upper Egypt dessert, there were more than 10 buses and 20 vans of foreign tourist in a convoy escorted by military vehicles in front and back.

There were only the two of us in the van and we had a soldier and an officer riding with us. It was a start of an adventure with a slight uneasy feeling of apprehension...

(Dry Rocky desert)

Along the journey to Abu Simbel, on a hot day like today, the vast desert was playing tricks on us. We could see water reflections of the sand dunes. A mirage that make many thirsty desert travellers go crazy.

(Exploring the man-made lake)

We reached Abu Simbel at 2.30pm and were impressed by the vastness and blueness of the biggest man-made Nassir Lake. A catchment area resulting from the construction of the Aswan dam.

Temple of Abu Simbel

Pharaoh Ramses II had two temples carved out of solid rock at a remote location near the Sudanese border in sourthern Egypt, a site on the west bank of the Nile south of Aswan in the land of Nubia and known today as Abu Simbel.

(The Temple of Abu Simbel)

The temple built by Ramses was dedicated to the sun gods Amon-Re and Re-Horakhte. The two temple were since moved to a safer higher ground when the area was flooded.

(The sunset over the horizon)

We watched the beautiful sunset on the trip back to Aswan. And at night the sand dunes laid in crisp cool whiteness in luminous moonlight. The night was lulled by soft whispers of past histories of the desert...

Tuesday 26 October 2010

Egypt 2010: Day 02 Cairo/Aswan - Pyramids of Giza Cheops...

"Minds are like parachutes - they only function when open..." - Thomas Dewar

The sun was already high up in the sky when we awoke. We had breakfast early and waited for our tour guide to take us to interesting places around the Giza province.

They are one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the most amazing and world-renowned iconic features in all of Egypt. We skipped the journey into the heart of the Pyramids as we have been there before.

(Majestic and ancient)

The journey to the innermost chamber is hot, humid and claustrophobic for some. The biggest of the 3 Pyramids to look for is Khufu (at nearly five hundred feet high), Khafre and Menkaure.

(Sentinels of time)

The Sphinx

Besides the Pyramids, another popular feature on Giza Pyramids is the Sphinx and the Temple of the Sphinx. This human headed lion was originally built in honor of the sun god Re-Horakhty. Looking at the majestic statue we wonder what had happened to the Sphinx's missing nose?

(The largest monolithic sttatue)

We visited the Egyptian cotton store and a perfumery. But didn't buy anything there much to the guide's dissapointment. Buffet lunch was at the Imperial Restaurant, a cozy tied down converted boat house on the river Nile.


(Sleepy camels)

The Egyptian Museum

The Egyptian Museum was first built in Boulak. In 1891, it was moved to Giza Palace of "Ismail Pasha" which housed the antiquities that were later moved to the present building. The Egyptian Museum is situated at Tahrir square in Cairo. It has 107 halls. At the ground floor there are the huge statues. The upper floor houses small statues, jewels, Tutankhamon treasures and the mummies.

(Collection of treasures)

Khan El Khalili Bazaar

We spent less than an hour visititng the Hussein Mosque and Khan El khalili Bazaar. The bazaar is named after Prince Jaharkas Al-Khalili, who was one of the powerful Mamluke Princes in the 14th century. It is famous for its unusual, typically oriental souvenirs, and handmade crafts. The Bazaar is situated next to the famous El-Hussein mosque.

(Cemetery of the Fatimid Caliphs)

We arrived 2 hours earlier at Cairo train station. The sleeper train was scheduled to leave Cairo at 8pm. It was already dark, the station was chaotic packed full with commuters and foreigners bound for Luxor and Aswan.

(Cozy double decker beds)

The more than 12-hour journey from Cairo to Aswan was comfortable with dinner and breakfast served by our personal butler in the cabin. The rest of the night was spent sleeping soundly, gently rocked by the gentle movement of the speeding train.

2010: Cairo, Egypt ðŸ‘‰

Monday 25 October 2010

Egypt 2010: Day 01 Cairo - The land of the Pharaohs...

"I think of life as a good book. The further you get into it, the more it begins to make sense..." - Harold S Kushner

(Kuala Lumpur - Cairo)

It was a full moon over the land of the pharaohs when our plane began to descent for landing at the new Cairo International Airport. The cold October morning air felt liberating.

(A glimpse of the Pyramid from our room)

We were met by our tour guide and were transported in a limousine to the hotel. When we crossed Cairo city, it was still very early in the morning and the traffic jam was beginning to build up. The 5-star Mercure Le Sphinx Hotel was located in the Giza province overlooking two of the three majestic pyramids.

(Mercure Le Sphinx Hotel)

We had to wait for a while for our room to be ready. After a refreshing bath we had our much needed nap to rest tired body and woke up to order room service of steak and sandwiches to fill hungry tummies.

(Sculpture on the wall)

The whole night was spent in the hotel room watching movies on TV.

2010: Singapore ðŸ‘‰

Sunday 11 July 2010

Singapore 2010: A cousin wedding...

"You can never do a kindness too soon because you never know how soon it will be too late..." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

We went for a day trip to Singapore to attend a cousin's wedding reception for his daughter...

(A beautiful flower decorations)
(The lovely couple)

Friday 29 January 2010

Taiwan 2010 - Fun on an Island Nation...

"Whatever you want to do, do it now. There are only so many tomorrows..."

After an hour stopover in Kota Kinabalu, we arrived in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport late Friday night.

The airport commenced operations in 1979 as Chiang Kai-shek International Airport in memory of former President of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai-shek. In 2006, the name was changed to Taoyuan International Airport. The overall layout is simple and traveler friendly.

John Duang, our local host was waiting for us at the arrival gates and we were whisked off to the Cosmos Hotel Taipei, located at the heart of the city's most prosperous financial district. It is adjacent to the Taipei Train Station and the bus main station. After a brief checking in process, we unpacked and rested for the night.

(Arriving at the hotel)

Pigeon Racing

Early next morning we began our tour. During the drive south to Taichung, John pointed out the numerous red and blue pigeon coops on rooftops. The Japanese introduced pigeon racing to Taiwan early last century. This curious combination of sport, gambling, and animal husbandry was an instant hit. It seized the hearts and minds of the people in Taiwan. The pigeons eat birdseed and grit, but the racing itself is fueled by cash. Money is what makes pigeon racing so popular though gambling is illegal in Taiwan. The lucky owners make a lot of money, the stakes can be very high and could reach almost US$3 million, and any bird that does well in a seven-race season is automatically worth more than US$20,000. These racing pigeons are measured by a simple yardstick, their race results. Thieves throw up nets to snare the little aviators and hold them for ransom.

The Wu Chang Temple

Through multi level mountain highways intersecting each other, approaching Taichung, we had no idea of the horrific damage inflicted by the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that shook the island eleven years ago. To ensure the unimaginable power nature unleashed on Taiwan that day was never totally forgotten, several sites around the island had been left exactly as they were after that terrible night.

When that earthquake hit Taiwan, the Wu Chang Temple collapsed leaving the temple in ruins. This is perhaps the most famous and often visited temple in the town of Jiji in Nantou County, situated close to the quake’s epicentre. The remains of the village’s Wu Chang Temple whose first floor entirely collapsed is a dramatic sight.

(The temple damaged by the earthquake)

The Sun Moon Lake

Driving onwards and upwards, we headed towards the Sun Moon Lake. Surrounded by green mountains, the 8km square Sun Moon Lake is the pearl of Central Taiwan. It is the largest natural lake in Taiwan. It is a beautiful alpine lake, divided by the tiny Lalu Island. The Eastern part of the lake is round like the sun, while the Western part is shaped like a crescent moon - hence the name "Sun Moon Lake".

(The Sun Moon Lake)

Its crystalline, emerald green waters reflect the hills and mountains which rise on all sides. Natural beauty is enhanced by numerous cultural and historical sites. Its beauty is created by the combination of mountain and water scenery, and its 760-meter elevation helps give the impression of a Chinese landscape painting with mist-laden water and clearly defined levels of mountains.

(The hills and mountains surrounding the lake)

Thao Chieftains House

We made a brief stop at a Thao Chieftains house. The Thao represent the smallest of Taiwan's indigenous, non Chinese, population, with just over 500 members. Pictures on the wall showed world dignitaries who has visited the Chieftain in the past. The Thao claim that they produce the world’s best Royal Jelly. Their colourful vests were prominently displayed for sale.

Peacock Garden Park

We followed the winding road bordering the lake to the Peacock Garden Park. It has over 200 peacocks and other rare and valuable birds. Over 100 other species live in this park, including the mountain chicken, the Formosan blue magpie, the long-tailed pheasant, the golden pheasant, the ampherst pheasant, and the black coot. The park seems to be a popular vacation spot for the locals.

(A peacock garden)

The Wenwu Temple

During the Japanese occupation period there were two temples on the banks of the lake: Longfong Temple in Shueishe Village and Yihua Hall in what is now Yitashao. But when the Japanese built their hydroelectric power plants, the water levels rose, and the temples had to be removed. The Japanese electric company paid compensation, and the temple managers decided to combine their resources and build a single new temple at Songboling on the northern shore of the lake. The result was the Wenwu Temple.

This Wenwu temple was built in 1938, combining two temples that had to be relocated when the dam was constructed. It was rebuilt in 1969. This temple of literature and martial arts has a pair of lions in front of the temple, reputed to be the largest in Taiwan.

(The Wenwu Temple)

Chung Tai Chan Monastery

Leaving Taichung, we sped off towards Puli. Located there in Taiwan's Nantou County is the Chung Tai Chan Monastery. Its construction began in 1990 and lasted for a whole decade. The structure was designed by the renowned Taiwanese architect, Li Tsu-Yuan, and combines both Chinese and Western architectural designs.

(The monks cleaning the garden)

The main building of the monastery stretches vertically, in sharp contrast to many traditional Chinese temples which are horizontally extended. The primary building material is stone, which represents the firmness of Buddhist belief. It also depicts longevity.

The monastery pursues the main tenets espoused for mankind:
1. Respect subdues arrogance
2. Kindness dispels anger
3. Harmony overcomes rudeness and violence
4. Truthfulness eradicates deceit

(A statue made of Jade)

The main structure stands upright among other lower buildings and the surrounding hills, resembling a saint sitting in the green woods. This symbolizes a pursuit of eternal peace, which is the Buddhist goal. The monastery can be seen as a symbol of hope for the people in the surrounding villages.

More than one hundred thousand religious followers come to visit Chung Tai Chan Monastery every year. Other local and international visitors come to participate in art and science seminars in the confines of the monastery's architectural beauty.

(Religious sayings at the entrance)

Feng Chia Night Market

John assured us that he was bringing us to a night market that provides the most diverse, delicious, and non-traditional Taiwanese snacks, the Feng Chia Night Market!

(A street performer)

The Feng Chia Night Market situated in the Situn District in Taichung City is full of people. It offers a wider array of Taiwanese snacks, drinks, food shops, and fashion goods at competitive prices. More than 1,000 shops and food stalls line Wenhua Road, Feng Chia Road, Fushing Road, and Hsian Road. As we waded through the crowd, smells of stinking tofu wafted through the market. Of course there were various varieties of Taiwanese dishes on sale. Even Turkish Ice Cream can be found here!

Fun Won Hotel

Our Ful Won hotel is located on a convenient traffic entrance connected to Zhonggang Road and Wensin Road. Surrounding it are many large department stores, the Feng Chia night market, the Jingming commercial zone and the Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology. It’s a nice cosy hotel to rest our tired bones.

(A decent hotel room)

Leofoo Village Theme Park

Located in Guansi Township in Hsinchu County, Leofoo Village Theme Park is the largest theme park in Taiwan. Leofoo Village Theme Park comprises a well segmented wildlife zoo and four other theme parks. Enroute to the park, it is like a fairytale castle, it’s most famous feature, rising in the middle of the surrounding forest.

(Visiting a Theme Park)

In Chinese ‘Leo’ means ‘six’ and ‘Foo’ stands for ‘luck’. Thus the park symbolizes six lucks. The Theme Park was established in 1994 and has received overwhelming response from the domestic as well as the foreign tourists. It took only couple of years after its opening for the number of visitors to the Park to touch the figures of 2.3 million. This figure surpassed Taiwan’s tourist record.

Apart from a wild life zoo, Leofoo Village Theme Park has a four other theme parks, the Wild West, the Arabian Palace, the South Pacific and the Safari Park. Newer themes like China Town, the Wildlife and the Fairy Tales are slated to be added to the park soon. The Park is also planning to include a huge garden and an international hotel.

There are also fun rides like the Volcano Adventures, 360 degree Roller Coasters, pendulum themed Pirate Ships and the Jurassic Park. We were treated to an MJ dance routine in the theme streets. Costumed staff depicting cowboys, arabian warriors and south pacific natives mingled freely with the visitors.

Pi Xiu Museum

We stopped at a Pi Xiu museum on the way back to Taipei. In Chinese Feng Shui, a Pi Xiu is a mythical animal which is depicted with the head of a dragon and a dog or lion's body often with hoofs, little wings and a tail.

The Pi Xiu is a loyal guardian that is frequently seen guarding the tombs of emperors or on the roofs of important buildings. It is believed a Pi Xiu absorbs evil and as it has no anus the evil cannot escape and infect the place it protects. It also absorbs wealth from all directions and signifies money coming in without going out which is why they are often depicted with a full belly standing on a bed of Chinese coins. It is said that you do not simple buy a Pi Xiu. The Pi Xiu chooses you!

Ximending

Located in west Taipei, Ximending is one of the most popular tourist spots among locals and visitors from all over the world. Ximending features a wide array of fashion clothing and accessories in various styles including Japanese, Chinese and Western.

(High-rise buildings in town)

Ximending is similar to the fashionable streets of major cities in the world like the Shibuya in Japan, Wang Fu Jing of Beijing, Nanjing Road of Shanghai, Drottninggatan of Stockholm, and Petaling Street of KL to name a few. All are famed for a diversity of entertainment and activities that allure young people and young adults to visit.

(A local scoot)

With packed breakfasts provided by the hotel, we left the hotel before dawn. Arriving still in the dark at the airport, we flew home in the early morning mist...